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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cap — a lid
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. kick — in football
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. cold — not warm
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — for dancing
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. club — a group
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cap — a hat
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cap — of ice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com